Shang Cycle
by bakedfrenchbread
Summary: Kind of a blend of Naruto, Eragon, and Avatar. Not finished and just for fun. But read and review please! Rated T just in case...
1. Introduction

1Chapter 1: The Prophecy

_"Long ago, there was a prophecy made. A single individual would bring unity to the four great kingdoms that have taken pride in their freedom as separate states. This individual was said to be a wise and powerful master that would have control over each element of water, earth, wind and fire. This Master is said to have been chosen by Kami who gifted each founding Emperor their exceptional mastery over an element. Lord Sebastian was given the power over earthly substance, and so he was the master of the rocks and mountains. Master Joonho was given the power over water, and so he controlled the Rivers and Seas. Emperor Flanigan was gifted with the power to control the air, and he mastered the control over the Four Winds. Neil the Great had a mastery over fire and flame. These Emperors, or Kages, were once great rulers and teachers of their time in a united kingdom. However, pride and anger broke between them as they left the Great Kingdom and built their own empires far across the land. Yet strife existed between them as their power increased and their borders became disputed. It is foretold that a Great War will change the fates of Elves and Men, yet one individual will rise to unite them all under a single banner. The great Shang Warrior..."_

A teenage boy looked disgustedly at the piles of scrolls set out in front of him. _This is so boring_ he thought as he stretched his arms and yawned widely. The boy's name was Kenny Karim, a young boy of sixteen years of age. He had light brown hair with bright hazel eyes that stood out against his pale skin. He wore a brown tunic that matched his hard leather shoes.

Kenny absentmindedly flipped through his history scrolls. He groaned as he saw he had another scroll to translate. The scrolls were copies of ancient manuscripts that were written in the old language of the Fire Nation. Kenny read the top of the scroll slowly, _"Kage: The divine ruler"_.

As he dipped his quill to write, his grandmother knocked on his door. "Kenny! You're going to be late for your Fire Bending class!"

Kenny lived alone with his Grandmother because his mother had died long ago and his father was extremely busy. His father, Martel, was an infamous Fire Master who stayed as captain of Neil-Kage's royal guard for many generations.

Kenny leapt up crying, "Ahh crap, I totally forgot!"

He quickly rolled up his scrolls, and then dashed out the door, quickly hugging his grandmother goodbye.

Kenny and his grandmother lived in the capital city of the Fire Nation. The city was immense, yet it did not span upward toward the sky, but spread outward across the land. This merited its name, Nomda, which meant 'Flat City' in the old language. The buildings were all a dark red, made of brick and red mortar. Yellow and red sand stretched for miles and miles around the city and the only signs of mountains were the lone, ancient volcano that was in the exact center of the city.

Kenny hurried down the streets, dodging people in the busy street markets. The roads were narrow and there were many carts going each way down the road. The city was an oasis in a barren desert, for there was once a fiery volcano where the base of the city now lies. It was said in tales, that Neil-Kage tamed the powerful dragon that lived in the volcano known as the Mountain of Fire. It was said that he harnessed the dragon's power to build his city. It is no surprise that the crest of the Fire Nation was a large black dragon, embedded in a red flame.

Fire Benders were a proud race and were some of the most skilled craftsmen in the world. They forged armor and weaponry like none other in the world. They had fiery tempers to match their flame wielding abilities and were a dangerous people when angered. Their people had thick brown hair and were shorter then most people of the world. Their empire expanded from across the desert, towards the coast, and then outward towards the mountains. They were rulers of a vast plain with several large cities spread within. Yet most of their nation was made up of smaller villages that centered around the major cities. Their people dearly loved the plains and were horse-masters, preferring to ride than march.

Kenny ran swiftly from the well paved street to the main gate that lead out into the desert. He quickly made his way to a lone stone building where many other students were already gathered. It was a simple and modest temple, comprised of eight large pillars that held up a high roof. There was a large gap in the ceiling, allowing sunlight to shine in. The temple was open aired and so a warm breeze blew through the temple. As he entered the temple, he saw his father sitting in a chair on a raised platform, observing Kenny in disgust. Kenny and his father had never gotten along since Kenny's mother died during an Earth-Fire battle. Martel believed his son disgraced his family because he could not save his own mother, despite the fact that Kenny was only a child. Kenny hated his father and his arrogance and made every attempt to avoid him. His father's voice barked harshly, "So you're late again?"

The courtyard became dead silent, and only the breeze could be heard, whistling over the dune seas. Kenny's face reddened and he said, "The sun hasn't reached the middle of the sky...I am not late."

Martel sneered and got up from his chair. He jumped from the platform to stand in front of his son, staring at him coldly in the eyes. "What did you say to me...whelp?"

Kenny flushed with anger and replied, "You should get the sand out of your ears old man, I yelled fairly well."

A gasp arose from the silent crowd, as Martel turned dark red, livid with anger. "HOW DARE YOU SPEAK TO A MASTER IN SUCH A TONE!"

Kenny leapt back, fire bursting from his hands. "Master? I don't think so. Let's see who is the master now!"

Martel laughed harshly and suddenly engulfed his entire body in flames, looking much like a human torch, "Let us see what you can do, little master."

The onlookers gasped as they recognized the stance Martel had taken. It was the legendary Dancing Sun stance that only a handful could use, and of those few, only some could perfect. It was a dangerous technique that required and incredible amount of energy from the user. Normally, during a duel, simple stances are taken, which involved igniting fire around your feet or hands.

Without making any motion, a large blast of fire blazed towards the teenage Fire Bender in an awesome display of power. Kenny spread his legs apart, braced himself and caught the flames in his hands. He focused his power and then flung them back towards his father with even more power. Martel laughed, but as he reached out to catch the flames, they disappeared. Everyone turned and saw that Neil-Kage stood at the entrance of the courtyard.


	2. The Gathering

Chapter 2: The gathering

All the Fire Benders bowed low to the ground as Master Martel withdrew his flames. He was shocked to see the Emperor there, but bowed as low as the other benders. Kenny caught a quick glance at the Emperor before bowing as well. Neil-Kage was not a tall man, but was the average height of most his subjects. He had a long brown beard as well as light brown eyes. He wore a simple tunic of red and black, and had a red headband with his crest in the middle. He solemnly scanned the room before slowly making his way towards Martel. The sense of his power and the heat radiating from him was felt by all the bowed Fire Benders. Martel trembled and soaked himself in sweat as he could feel his master approaching. Neil-Kage stopped and surveyed Martel with interest before saying, "What is going on here, Master Martel. I thought you had a class today?"

The Emperor's voice was calm, and seemed innocently inquisitive, yet all the benders knew that his disappointment was apparent. Martel bowed even lower, "Great Emperor, my son - this Fire Bender, showed great disrespect to me and questioned my authority."

The Emperor sighed and said, "Master Martel, please get up. I must talk to you in private and do not have time for your family matters."

Martel shakily got to his feet, but still kept his eyes to the ground as he followed the Kage out into the desert. Neil-Kage sighed again, "Master Martel, I am not so sure if you have heard, but we are in troubled times. The Fire Nation is not in its Golden Age as it once was. Our people need more then this desert can provide. The blasted Earth Nation has denied us entry to the lands beyond their range. The time has come for us to use other means than diplomacy to gain access to the lands beyond."

The Fire Master startled at this news, "My liege, I knew not that we were yet at conflict with the Earth Nation."

The Kage turned gravely towards him, "Our enemy, the mighty Air Nation, has agreed to stay out of this conflict. We must move quickly if we are to save our Nation."

Master Martel thought and said, "Great Master, should we not wait until we act? The Earth Kingdom may not yet..."

The Kage snapped, "We have waited long enough. That accursed Earth Nation has gone unchallenged as it is. I will not tolerate this. Surely you are not frightened of a few bumbling orges that can move rocks?"

The mood change that took place was startling to Martel, yet not unexpected. He bowed lower, "No Master. Those Earth eating vermin will burn by our flames."

The Kage grinned fiercely. "Yes…they will burn for their sins…"

His voice trailed off as he closed his eyes as if to imagine the battle at hand. He opened them and said, "Master Martel, you are to mobilize the Fire Bender troops. General Soba will lead the regular army. You have a week to gather your troops. I will meet with you when you have done this."

With a crack and a burst of flames, Neil-Kage vanished. Martel rose to grin as fiercely as his Master had. He could feel his warrior blood pumping as he said in the whispering tongue of the Flame, "I shall avenge my wife and restore my honor."


	3. Fire in the Sky

Chapter 3: Fire in the Sky

Far from the Fire nation capital of Nomda and set deep within the mountain range of Casca, was the stronghold of the Earth Nation. The Earth Nation had indeed, expanded their borders to conquer most of the mountain range and into the forest, yet they loved the mountains dearly and did not wish to be parted from them. The Earth nation held the largest empire, but had the fewest people.

However, the Earth Bender race was enormous, their runts standing at an easy six feet tall, and their tallest at nine feet. They had grey hair and stone colored eyes. These people were known for their skills as elite warriors, great kings of men. From the time they were born, they were trained to wield any manner of weapon, yet their favorite being the War Hammer. They were a quiet people, never speaking unless needed. They were mortals, but were powerful beings and lived many lives that of normal mortal men.

The Earth Nation's capital was a massive city that had many passages undeground which lead into tall towers that rose above the mountain tops. The Nine Gates which protected the entrance into the capital city were legendary. The tales of their power and their magic was believed that any non-Earth bender could not enter the city without suffering great pain. The city was rightly named, Lindoth, 'Land of the Gates'.

At the highest tower, unsheltered from the howling wind and rain, stood the great Earth Kage, Lord Sebastian. He faced the storm, bare chested, looking eastward toward the Fire kingdom. The Kage of Earth, was a huge man, standing seven feet tall. He possessed great strength, and legend told that he lifted the tallest mountain in the world, Candun. With its roots, he dug the first foundations of Lindoth. Lindoth was a glorious city, for it was wrought within the mountain, under the mountain, and upon the mountain. The sides of the mountain were filled with tall buildings that seemed to be carved out of the mountain. The mountain itself was honeycombed with buildings and filled with light. It was the largest city that existed upon the earth.

His long grey hair blew about his face as he stood rooted to the spot. His stony expression was broken with a look of wonder as he saw a large fire shaped dragon, ignite the sky. To his surprise, fiery shapes of smaller Phoenixes burst into flame as if in response to the large dragon. Troubled, he swept on his large grey cloak and descended silently into the tower. He retrieved his crystal orb and set it on the ground. Closing his eyes, he commanded the earth in the Tongue of the Rocks and it seemed as though veins from the earth grew from the ground and attached to the orb. The orb lit up brightly in a shining white light and then burned red as if in flame. Suddenly, from the depths of the fire, a deep voice spoke, "Yes Lord Sebastian. May I help you?"

The Earth Kage sat before the fiery ball and spoke quietly in a deep voice, "Neil the Great. Hail the Fire nation, and long may you sit at the throne."

Sebastian spoke slowly and with deliberation with each word. The Fire Kage was not impressed with his words, "Lord Sebastian, I hear rumor that you continue to ignore my request. I ask only to receive passage into your mountains to explore and perhaps assist my people out of the desert, where they have received…ill-fated luck."

Sebastian sat silently, pondering his words. "Emperor Neil, the past is behind us."

Long ago, the Earth Kingdom troops destroyed three of the Fire Nation's greatest cities. This happened after the first years following the separate paths each Kage took. It was said that the Earth Kingdom warriors believed that they should be gifted with the Mountain of Fire since they were masters of mountains. When the Fire nation took the Mountain, the Earth Kingdom was enraged and slaughtered thousands of civilians as well as crushing their cities literally to dust.

Many people dwelt in each kingdom of the world. The art of 'bending' or controlling an element to a certain extent was taught by each Kage to their own people. When the Kages were united and lived in peace, they each had their own students to teach their arts. Not all people who live in each nation are necessarily 'benders'. Some may be citizens, or 'regular' soldiers which posses mighty skills as warriors, yet are not learned in the arts of any element.

Neil the Great strove to contain his anger, "Yes, the past is behind us, great Master of Stone. You must grant me access to your mountains so I may help my people. Otherwise, I may have to use other means to gain access."

Lord Sebastian too, strove to master his grudge towards the Fire Master, "And those signs in the sky? This is your doing?"

The Fire Kage smiled fiercely, "My people will be avenged."

The flames suddenly were extinguished as though doused by cold water. The crystal orb returned to being clear. The Earth King rose in terrible anger. He knew that the Fire Lord was up to something and had hidden intentions than simply helping his people. The earth rumbled beneath his feet as he strode to the Great Hall. The Hall was filled with Earth Benders and citizens. The talking quieted as he stood on a clef overlooking the hall.

"It is to my greatest concern that the Fire Nation may attack our people and burn our empire to the ground." He paused. "We have lived in harmony for many centuries and I will not tolerate the Fire Nation to engulf this world in war."

The Earth Bender warriors nodded grimly. Harold the Strong, Sebastian's leading Captain took a step foreword and laid his hand on his breast. "We will follow our Lord until we have ground the troublesome Fire Nation into dust."

There was a deafening roar of approval as the Earth Benders flexed their incredible muscles, their grey eyes glowing with energy. The Earth Kage rose his hand and said, "This is our destiny. We were born from the stone and to the stone we will return. No Fire Bender shall disgrace these halls of ours."


End file.
